HOMINICK TO THE WEC?

By Loretta Hunt

London, Ontario striker Mark Hominick (13-6) has made no secret of his desire to some day face World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber (18-1-0). The 24-year-old former TKO featherweight champion might soon find himself one step closer to this goal.

The Fight Network has learned that officials at Zuffa are considering transferring the remainder of Hominick’s Ultimate Fighting Championship contract to their organization’s second league.

Although “the Machine” has racked up a pair of impressive UFC wins at 155 pounds over veteran Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel, Hominick has indicated that he is more comfortable fighting ten pounds lighter at his natural weight.

Hominick is coming off a dubious unanimous decision loss at Feb. 9’s TKO 28 to featherweight champion Hatsu Hioki (12-1-1), the man who took his title.

Belcher hopes to snare “Da Spyder” in his own web

By Jason Probst

You’re Alan Belcher. And you weren’t good enough, then or now. That’s what most fans are going to remember about you if the conventional wisdom plays out as expected.

You weren’t the caliber of fighter to be selected for third season cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, having been passed over in the tryout. And you certainly weren’t the kind of guy to knock off the winner of that season’s 185-pound division, Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove, which is the task at hand April 7th at UFC 69.

But with a nickname of “The Talent,” it figures that Belcher will have something to say about that.

“You really didn’t get to show much. You go in and introduce yourself, then go and grapple for like three minutes,” recalled Belcher of the tryout for TUF. “It was a couple grappling matches, and you hit the mitts. I made it to the interview at the end, but I really didn’t get to show my skills. And I was like 1-1 at the time.”

He’s since built a record of 9-2, including two appearances in the UFC, dropping a decision to Yushin Okami at UFC 62 in August while filling in as a late sub for David Terrell. Then, Belcher notched his first UFC win with an impressive third-round stoppage of Jorge Santiago at UFC Fight Night in December.

Big for a middleweight, he walks around between 205 and 210 pounds, and hadn’t fought at 185 before the reality show tryout– the grim spectacle of Kenny Stevens trying to cut weight and failing on season two may have worked against Belcher as well.

“I hadn’t made 185 before that. I told them I could make 185, but I think with Kenny Stevens, with that deal they didn’t want to have anything to (worry about),” Belcher added. He’s since settled in at the weight and plans to stay there for the time being. At 6-2, he’ll be giving away three or four inches to the lanky Grove, but the 22 year-old Biloxi boy figures that’s just more target to aim at.

“I want this fight to be like (Anderson) Silva versus (Chris) Leben,” Belcher said. There’s “no doubt about it” he’s looking to prove that he belongs there with the other alums of the reality show. Ranging from first-season winner Diego Sanchez to Matt Serra, who challenges welterweight boss Georges St-Pierre on the UFC 69 main event, being on the show is one heck of a way to jump-start a career.

So is destroying one of those guys.

There is a thin line of demarcation between getting exposure before millions and falling just short, with the accompanying vast gulf in sponsorship money, purses and budding celebrity that snowballs with each outing. You can make up a lot of the gap in a few minutes, as Silva did against Leben. Call it the ultimate party-crashing. And Belcher feels that the stars are lined up correctly for a breakout performance against Grove.

“I know to myself I’m better than probably all those guys on both weight classes on the show. Really the thing with Kendall is, he chose to fight me. That’s really my motivation for this fight,” Belcher said. “When (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva calls these guys up, he says would you rather fight this guy or this guy. I really want to knock him out and make an example of Kendall. He’s a good fighter. He has a lot of heart. That’s the main thing. He’s gonna bring conditioning and he fights at a fast pace.”

Rich Clementi, veteran of TUF 4, is a mentor to Belcher and the two are training together a couple days a week as Belcher makes the trip into nearby Slidell, Louisiana to work with him.

“What’s neat about Alan Belcher is he’s helped my own ability,” said Clementi. “He’s getting ready to be the next big thing. It’s cool to have another guy that’s at that point. I’m really excited for him to fight Kendall Grove. It’s just way he fights. He’s tough to take down, he likes to stand up, and he’s a funny kid. He’s just a funny, likeable guy, with a heart of gold. You can’t not love this kid. He’s got some great showmanship.”

That flair includes Belcher’s out-of-the-box escape from a painful body triangle during his big-show debut against Okami. It’s the same kind of crushing hold that Ivan Salaverry introduced to mainstream fans in tapping Tony “The Freak” Fryklund – if you haven’t been caught in one, trying wedging yourself in between two industrial-sized vice grips and having somebody crank ‘em together. It’s white-hot pain while your breath is vacuumed out of you, with your foe’s legs compressing the lower back in horrific fashion. And it makes a mere kick to the liver feel like a weekend in Maui.

Instead, Belcher propelled himself down to the mat, slamming Okami off and escaping a very bad situation. He lost the decision, but showed the kind of fire fans appreciate.

“I told Spike TV I was out there (at the tryout) and after they watched him fight (Santiago), I was like ‘this is the guy you passed up on the last season,’” Clementi said.

As mixed martial arts creeps into the midpoint of its second decade on the world stage, the backgrounds that spawn fighters are changing. More and more, these athletes represent a commingling of multiple arts instead of the single-discipline competitors with varying amounts of catchup cross-training, and they started in MMA earlier than their predecessors. Belcher began competing in the sport’s amateur ranks at 15, and is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, studying under noted black belt Helio Soneca.

Belcher is training several different places for this match. In addition to the trip to work with Clementi, he’s prepping at his own gym, and running stadium stairs. Thinking of Grove, and the collective roar of the crowd when the plot turns on its head, and he’s just delivered a crushing bomb to turn the fight his way.
But even Belcher, for all his confidence, knows that it goes both directions. He’s seen a lot more of Grove than Grove has of him, given “The Spider” being a regular entrant on UFC cards in addition to three matches he had to win on the reality show. But he knows that you never know what a guy’s gonna bring, until you know. Sometimes reality sets in with a corner man pressing an ice pack against your head, or a ringside physician telling you to stay down, that everything’s over.

The sport is evolving at a rate where even a half-dozen matches with a year or two of training can take your game to the next level – but it can also happen for the guy you were favored to beat, or even already did. Just ask Matt Hughes.

“It’s really hard for someone to say ‘he’s this good because he fought like this.’ A lot of guys are getting good. I fought for a few years, but when I really got to the next level, I knew I had to start training different,” said Belcher, who cut his teeth in small shows, including a decision loss to UFC veteran Marvin Eastman in just his second pro bout. “I started mixing it up and training with the best. My jiu-jitsu’s come a long way.

Grove, a relentless grinder-type, uses his height and reach effectively, whether standing up or on the ground, where he can resemble a python, entangling and stifling opponents while setting up attacks. If there’s one place Belcher would prefer not to be, it’s on the ground, with Grove on top of him. But he says that he isn’t afraid to hit the deck against “The Spider.” Not a chance.

“A lotta people don’t give me credit for my jiu-jitsu, and that’s ok. People have seen me get taken down and get my guard passed. Everybody is getting better between each fight but I’m gonna show it this time, that’s for sure,” Belcher said. “My first fight (Okami) was short notice, and the (Santiago) fight I was coming off a real bad shoulder injury. I only trained a few weeks for Santiago too. I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t even hitting the mitts. This time, though, people are gonna see, I’m gonna be like George St-Pierre. Explosive standup. That’s who I’m gonna be. My standup is already ten times what that guy’s is,” he added. “That’s the kind of fighter I am. I think if I win in a really dominating fashion it will open a lot of people’s eyes.”

After 366 days away, Imes is looking for a fight on April 7th

By Thomas Gerbasi

After elbow surgery, the correction of a deviated septum and the removal of a benign but tennis ball-sized tumor from his sinuses, the last thing Brad Imes needed in January for his first fight in nine months was the typical Imesian war he had been accustomed to in his short two year career.

So when he agreed to appear at a local show in Spirit Lake, Iowa to get his feet wet again in an actual combat situation, he figured he’d get a fight, but nothing that he was used to at the UFC-level.

“You can train for a while, but not being in the ring has an effect so I wanted to get back out there and compete again,” said Imes, and the fight was set. The 6 foot 7, 260 pound fighter took the trek from the MFS gym in Bettendorf to Spirit Lake and got ready to fight again. Then he saw his opponent, 6 foot 10, 290 pound Greg Hammer.

“Now I know how Rashad felt,” laughed Imes, referring to ‘The Ultimate Fighter 2’ heavyweight finale, where he faced the 5-11 Evans, who now campaigns in the light heavyweight division.

“He was built like me and had played college football and had done some boxing,” said Imes of Hammer. “That was more of a challenge than I had anticipated, but in hindsight I’m kinda glad that I took that fight because the guy was tough.”

Imes, not used to being the ‘small guy’, would go into the second round with Hammer before submitting him with a triangle choke, and less than a month later in a Florida show he put another victory on his record with an 18 second knockout of Christopher Adams. It was a big change from the bright lights of a UFC event, but a fight’s a fight, and a win’s a win.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a different atmosphere, but you’re still standing across from a guy who’s trying to take your head off,” said Imes. “Just being in the cage is close enough to be worth it. I was better off taking those fights than if I hadn’t.”

And in reality, those fights could have been even riskier for the Springfield, Missouri native because both Hammer and Adams had to know that a win over a UFC vet like Imes would have done wonders for their careers.

“Absolutely, as well they should,” said Imes. “I give them all the credit in the world; they stepped up and took a fight against a guy who has UFC experience and trains at the top gym, so they went out there and took their best shot.”

Imes wouldn’t be denied his victories though, and for fight fans, those two wins signified that “The Hillbilly Heartthrob” was back. But has his absence from the UFC, which will reach a year and a day when he steps into the Octagon against Heath Herring on April 7th’s UFC 69 card in Houston, killed the momentum he had built up as a thrill-a-minute fighter with his unforgettable wars against Evans and Dan Christison?

“Obviously it set me back a little bit and then with all the surgeries I’ve had, people are probably wondering where I’m at and what I’m doing, or if I’m still even fighting,” he admits. “But I can fix all that on April 7th. If I can go out there, have a good performance and walk away a winner, I’m right back in the mix.”

Against Herring, he will also be looking for his first post-TUF2 win, as the only UFC victories on his record (against Rob MacDonald and Seth Petruzelli) occurred when he was on the Spike TV reality show. In proper-UFC events, Imes is 0-2, with a razor-thin decision loss to Evans, and a submission defeat to Christison, a fight the 30-year old Imes is proud of, regardless of the end result.

“I really feel my fight against Dan was the best fight I ever had,” he said. “Even though I lost, I really controlled the fight and was winning the fight, but inexperience got the better of me. You can train ad all you want, but there’s only one way to learn experience and that’s by getting in the ring. That’s the one thing I was lacking, and Dan caught me. I’ve improved a lot since then. My footwork and balance with my boxing has gotten a lot better. I’ve been working a lot on my Muay Thai, and of course my grappling and my jiu-jitsu. It’s all improving.”

After a toe-to-toe slugfest with Christison for over two rounds, Imes was trapped in an armbar in the third, causing him to lose more than the fight.

“I started to feel it go,” said Imes of the elbow that was broken by Christison’s fight ending maneuver. “I was trying to pull it out and I started to feel it crack, so I tapped. I figured it was better to have a small break than a big one. It could have been worse.”

It did sideline him for a while though, and when a November return bout was scrapped as well due to a leg injury, Imes was getting antsy, especially when making the trip to UFC 65 to corner his teammate Sherman Pendergarst for his fight against Antoni Hardonk.

“When I went out to Sacramento, I was supposed to be on that card and got injured,” Imes recalls. “I cornered for Sherman and it was really hard for me to be out there. I was supposed to be fighting. You get mentally prepared to fight, and it was only like ten days before my fight that I got injured. It was hard to be out there because I really wanted to compete.”

He gets his chance a week from tomorrow against Herring, the toughest test of Imes’ young career, but also a fight that could propel him up the heavyweight ranks if he should win. And for all those counting Imes out against the well-traveled ‘Texas Crazy Horse’ due to his lack of experience against a fighter of Herring’s caliber, just remember that in mixed martial arts, especially when you’re a heavyweight, anything can happen. Just ask Herring, who was upset in his UFC debut in January by unheralded Jake O’Brien. Imes isn’t putting too much stock in that fight though.

“It would be a mistake for me to watch his fight with Jake and expect that to be the guy that I’m fighting on April 7th,” said Imes. “I think he had a bad night, and it happens to everybody. Not to take anything away from Jake, because he’s a phenomenal wrestler, and he had a gameplan and went in and took advantage of Heath’s weakness and his own strengths. The fight wasn’t real exciting, and I think that people know not to expect me to go out there and just take him down and lay and pray on Heath. I like to go out there and bang and make it exciting. Part of the reason I’m in this sport is because I like to fight. I was never a phenomenal wrestler, so I’ll leave the wrestling to people like Jake and I’ll just go out there and fight people.”

Imes laughs, knowing that when the bell rings on April 7th, he will deliver what fight fans have come to expect from him – and that’s a fight.

“I will cement my legend as one of the more exciting fighters ever in the UFC,” chuckles Imes. “It’s a great style matchup because both of us like to throw and I seem to have a head made out of concrete, so it should be quite exciting.”

That’s as good a guarantee as you’ll get in this unpredictable game.

Five Ounces of Pain: An interview with Josh Koscheck

By Sam Caplan

Few mixed martial artists carry the amateur credentials of UFC welterweight fighter Josh Koscheck. While at Edinboro University, Koscheck was a four-time All-American in freestyle wrestling. In 2001, Koscheck posted a 42-0 record on his way to the NCAA Division I championship in the 174-pound weight class.

After graduating, Koscheck attempted to make the United States Olympic team but fell short. He'd rebound in a big way after making a life-changing decision to convert to mixed martial arts. Soon after making his MMA debut, he was cast on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, becoming one of the show's breakout stars and garnering a contract from the UFC in the process.

While Koscheck boasts an impressive record of 8-1, he has come under scrutiny from MMA fans because of a fighting style that many consider to be boring. Relying heavily on his wrestling background, many of Koscheck's fights have been ground-based, thus lacking crowd pleasing strikes from a standing position.

But critics of Koscheck should be mindful that he's still a relative newcomer. After all, he has only been training in MMA for three years. He'll face the stiffest test of his young career when he faces former TUF cast mate Diego Sanchez at UFC 69 on April 7.

A win by Koscheck could put him in line for a shot at the UFC welterweight title, but during a recent interview with CBS Sportsline.com, Koscheck indicated that settling a personal score with Sanchez is foremost on his mind.

Q: You were a four-time NCAA All-American freestyle wrestler while at Edinboro. There was about a three-year gap between when you graduated and your first MMA fight. What did you do right out of college?
JK: Right out of college I went to Penn State. I worked on my master's degree there and was an administrative assistant for the wrestling team. And basically, I was still training to make the United States Olympic team.

Q: Because of your elite status as an amateur combat sports athlete, were you recruited by MMA promotions right out of college?
JK: No. No, the sport wasn't there at the time. You know, they were doing UFCs three times a year. There were only three times a year; you'd watch it on pay-per-view, they were never on cable TV. So, the UFC wasn't even, I would say, close to even being where it is now. You'd rarely even hear of it. You'd get the DVDs here and there or see it on pay-per-view three times a year.

I just knew of a friend who was fighting and basically he asked me if I'd be interested in fighting and I was like "Heck yeah! I love it!" I got hooked up with "Crazy" Bob Cook and Duane Lincoln Jr. at Lincoln Entertainment and basically got on the show The Ultimate Fighter, and the rest is history.

Q: Before you made the decision to convert to MMA, what did you think of it?
JK: I definitely thought it was really cool before. I was just like "That's awesome. Those guys are wrestlers?" Matt Hughes and Randy Couture, I remembered watching those guys wrestle in college. For me, being a wrestler, I was like "Oh man, these guys, they're just wrestlers and they're winning these fights." I was like, "Heck, this is easy." But now you can't just be a wrestler. In the evolution of how far this sport has come, you just can't be one-dimensional. You've got to have everything now.

Q: As you made the conversion to MMA, was there a fighter you looked up to?
JK: I looked up to a lot fighters. I just think that it takes a lot of respect -- just because I know what all fighters go through in the fact of getting in there and training and getting in there putting their life on the line in the Octagon, sometimes. It's a competition, but God forbid something bad happens, but there's that chance that something could happen. I look up to a lot of fighters. Chuck Liddell, obviously. Randy Couture.

(Continue Reading)

Fighter Blog: Mike Ciesnolevicz of the Silverbacks

By Mike Ciesnolevicz

It's time to set the record straight.

Recently, the lightweight fighter for the Nevada Lions, John Gunderson, has said some things that agitated me. In two separate articles (IFL.tv and Knucklepit.com) he’s insinuated that I’m ducking Vernon “Tiger” White and that’s why Sam Hoger is fighting in my place on April 7th.

He’s implied that I can’t beat Vernon and my injury is a fake.

The truth is, I had my nose shattered in my grueling win over Alex Schoenauer, who is a really classy guy and a tough fighter. I had to have surgery on it and the IFL paid for my procedure, as everyone who reads the website already knows. The doctors told me I couldn’t spar or grapple for eight weeks, so there is no way I could prepare properly for a guy like “Tiger” White.

Gunderson has never met me and the only reason he is saying these things is to try and play some mind games with our team. He’s only had one fight in the IFL, so he hasn’t earned the right to run his mouth. I’ve had five fights against quality opponents, and I’m riding a three-fight win streak right now, so there’s no reason why I’d be ducking “Tiger” White.

I have a lot of respect for Vernon and for Ken Shamrock, but I have less respect for John Gunderson. He should worry more about what Bart Palaszewski is up to, and less about Mike C.

He’s going to have his hands full when he gets in there with Bart in Moline on April 7th, and we’ll find out then if he can back up his talk. Bart’s an easy-going guy and a professional, so these head games don’t bother him. We are all too strong mentally and physically for that.

A lot of people have been wondering whether Sam Hoger is replacing me on the Silverbacks. He isn’t. He’s a teammate who is stepping up to help us out when we need him. That’s what teammates do. Sam is a free agent right now and can fight anywhere he wants, but I’ll be back in the lineup on May 19th in Chicago, and then in the playoffs.

Our team is prepared and hungry right now. We are confident that we will beat the Lions. The only question is what the final team score will be. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not underestimating them or taking them lightly. We are simply a better team right now.

As for Gunderson, my guess is he’s scared and he’s letting his fear do the talking. He’s trying to get in our heads, but it won’t work. He’d have to hit the lottery to beat Bart. Sure, that happens sometimes, but I wouldn’t bet on it. For his sake, I hope Gunderson can fight better than he can read.

Fan favorite Arlovski in position for upswing

By Roman Modrowski

Former UFC champ could meet Cro Cop if he beats coach

The last time I wrote about Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Andrei Arlovski, the headline was, ''THE BADDEST MAN IN CHICAGO.'' He was the UFC champ, and he went out and lost his next two fights, both to the overrated Tim Sylvia.

The next time I saw Arlovski was Dec. 30 in Las Vegas on the undercard of Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz II. The MGM Grand arena was packed, and other than the main-event combatants, the person who drew the loudest applause was Arlovski. He hadn't lost any of his star power, and he rewarded those fans with a quick technical knockout of Marcio Cruz.

I caught up with Arlovski on Tuesday at Jabb Gym, where he trains with boxing coach Mike Garcia. Arlovski is preparing for ''UFC Nations Collide'' on April 21 in Manchester, England, where he'll face Fabricio Werdum.

''I'm very glad the fans have stayed with me,'' said Arlovski, a native of Minsk, Belarus, who has lived in Chicago for seven years. ''I feel good, and training has gone well.''

It's an important fight for Arlovski. Werdum is the Jiu-Jitsu coach of Mirko Cro Cop, who likely will become the next UFC heavyweight champ. Cro Cop is expected to get a shot at Randy Couture, who came out of retirement March 3 and took the belt from Sylvia. Assuming Cro Cop and Arlovski win their next bouts, the stage could be set for an entertaining fight.

''Why not?'' Arlovski said when asked if he'd like to face Cro Cop. ''A lot of people would like to see it.

''I think it would be a good fight and a good test.''

First things first, though. Werdum is no gimme. He's a 6-4, 230-pound black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu. But the 6-4, 240-pound Arlovski is as skilled as anyone in the UFC.

And the word is Arlovski is holding his own training against pro boxers -- unusual for an ultimate fighter without pro boxing experience.

The 6-2, 220-pound Cro Cop also will be on the April 21 card in what should be a tuneup bout against Gabriel Gonzaga.

The card will be shown on Spike TV, tape-delayed at 8 p.m.

UFC PRIDE: The UFC purchased its Japanese equivalent, PRIDE, this week. Plans are for UFC champs to face PRIDE champs in an annual ''Super Bowl.'' The move reflects the skyrocketing popularity and influence of the UFC. PRIDE cards regularly fill 100,000-seat stadiums.

''This is going to be a good move for us in the UFC,'' Arlovski said. ''Some people say PRIDE fighters are stronger than UFC fighters, so everybody will have a chance to be the best.''

WORTH THE TRIP: Dominic Pesoli is promoting an April 7 boxing card at the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria that features undefeated Chicago middleweight Michael Walker (9-0-1, 8 KOs) taking on Dave Saunders (9-2, 6 KOs). Walker is considered a hot prospect and is gaining national recognition.

The co-main event features Milwaukee-based prospect Mike Gonzalez (9-0-1, 8 KOs) against Jaime Alavarando (7-5-2, 4 KOs).

HOOKS AND JABS: Don't miss ''UFC69'' from Houston via pay-per-view on April 7, if only to see welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre try to take apart Matt Serra, who won ''The Ultimate Fighter'' last season. Serra's a little too cocky for my tastes, and St. Pierre can humble the best in the world.

''Some people say I can beat Matt with one arm behind my back, but the most dangerous thing is to overlook an opponent,'' St. Pierre told me in a recent phone interview. ''I've trained like never before. My motivation is high, and I'm ready.''

St. Pierre won the title with a TKO over Matt Hughes, and let's hope that rematch isn't far off..

• • The Chicago Golden Gloves semifinals are tonight and Saturday night at 7:30 at St. Andrews.

• • Chicago's Montell Griffin will fight Glen Johnson in a light-heavyweight contest on May 16. A victory likely would set up Griffin for a world title shot.

• • The IFL will hold a card April 7 at The Mark of the Quad Cities in Moline. It will feature the Chicago Red Bears. Starting time is 7:30 p.m.

(Source)

Iowa Senate votes to end regulation of extreme fighting

DES MOINES, Iowa The Iowa Senate has voted to end state regulation of extreme fighting. Supporters say the bill sends a message that the state isn't going to regulate such matches, and if a fighter gets hurt or dies, the liability is on the organizers.

The lead sponsor is Senator Bill Dotzler, a Waterloo Democrat. He says they've begun to realize the "real danger" of the sport.

Monte Cox of Bettendorf is a top manager and promoter of mixed martial arts competition. He says the state is making a big mistake.

He says the lack of regulation will be an invitation for unethical promoters to hold fights in unsafe conditions. That, he says, would increase the chances for serious injuries or deaths.

The Senate approved the bill 35-to-12, sending it to the House.

(Source)

Trigg and Lawler mix it up

By Billy Hull

The world middleweight championship is on the line; Mayhem may be in his last Hawaii bout!

It's hard to believe, but just eight months ago, a 230-pound Frank Trigg sat at home on the couch and did nothing but eat chicken and drink wine.

"I was done," Trigg said. "I literally sat at home, did nothing, and blew up to 230. I was over (fighting)."

But when an offer to square off against Jason "Mayhem" Miller in Hawaii for the Icon Sport world middleweight title last December came about, it was enough to get Trigg off the couch and back in the ring.



"I couldn't turn it down," Trigg explained. "When I saw him fight (Georges) St.-Pierre in the UFC, he took a beating, but at the end, he kept coming at you and since then I always wanted to fight him."

Despite cutting 40 pounds in 10 weeks, Trigg (15-5) defeated Miller by TKO for the belt. He is back to defend it against former champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (13-4) in the main event of tomorrow night's Icon Sport: Epic event at the Blaisdell Arena.

Miller (17-5) will also be in action, as he takes on Hector Urbina in what could be Mayhem's final fight in Hawaii because his contract is up. The former middleweight champion won eight consecutive fights under the Super Brawl/Icon banner before being stopped by Trigg in the second round after taking multiple kicks to the head.

"Some people would argue that getting kicked in the head would not make you smarter," Miller said. "For me it produced the opposite effect, because I kicked up my training and I'm excited to unveil some new things in the ring."

That fight began a whirlwind four months for Trigg, who a month later was scheduled to fight in the Gracie Fighting Championships in Florida before that card was canceled. Around the same time, the Pride Fighting Championship, for which Trigg works as a broadcaster, offered him a fight against then-No. 4 middleweight Kazuo Misaki, who had just won the Pride middleweight Grand Prix tournament. He took the fight and mauled Misaki for three rounds before wining a unanimous decision.

Now Trigg is the seventh-ranked middleweight in the world, but despite the newfound success at 185 pounds, he's taking things on a fight-by-fight basis.

"This could be it for me," Trigg said. "There are a lot of different things going on in the (mixed martial arts) world right now, and I fortunately don't have to fight for the money anymore. I fight because I love it."

Lawler is coming off two impressive victories in a row, including a 22-second knockout of Joey Villasenor in a Pride ring last October, and is looking to become the first two-time holder of the Icon middleweight belt. He was scheduled for the main event of the last Icon card, but was pulled at the last minute when he came down with food poisoning the day of the event.

"I think my chances are good," Lawler said. "I feel great and healthy and I'm ready to go."

Lawler, who is ranked just outside the top 10, fights out of the Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa, where he trains with former UFC champions Jens Pulver, Tim Sylvia and Matt Hughes, among others. Pulver, who has boxed professionally and will be featured in the upcoming "Ultimate Fighter" reality show opposite Hilo's BJ Penn, will be Lawler's corner man tomorrow night.

"It's way too painful to spar with him now because he's gotten too big and strong," Pulver said of his training partner. "To get the opportunity to come out here and corner him, I couldn't wait to do it."

The event will also feature the long-awaited Icon debut of Poai Suganuma, who trains with Penn at his gym in Hilo.

"Charuto" Renato Verissimo will look for his second straight victory and a possible middleweight title shot if he can get by undefeated fighter Lars Haven.

In addition, former professional boxer Jeremy Williams is back and looking to finally get that elusive knockout victory.

Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com, the Blaisdell Box Office and all Times Supermarket outlets. The first fight is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

Main event
» Frank Trigg (15-5) vs. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (13-4), world middleweight title fight

Main Card
» "Charuto" Renato Verissimo (6-4) vs. Lars Haven (2-0)
» Jason "Mayhem" Miller (17-5) vs. Hector Urbina (8-2)
» Poai Suganuma (6-1) vs. Nathan Carey (6-1)
» Jeremy Williams (2-0) vs. Justin Bucholz

Undercard
» Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Ron Verdadero
» Kimo Woelfel vs. Dereck Keasley
» PJ Dean vs. Scott Anderson
» Thomas Ferguson vs. Carvin Mafatau
» Devon Damo vs. Dwayne Haney
» Jay Bolos vs. Ryan Lee

A Day Of Terror

By Mike Chiappetta

We were able to spend the day yesterday with Matt Serra, as he trained in preparation for his matchup with Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship on April 7 in Houston. We had a camera crew in tow to document the day, so look for video footage next week.

As many fans learned from watching The Ultimate Fighter Season 4, Serra is a hilarious guy who also has a serious side as a world-class jiu-jitsu coach and businessman. He certainly displayed both traits during our day of Terror. And he is definitely loose in the leadup to the fight, laughing and joking constantly with training partners, students and locals. But when he gets to business, you can see the type of focus and drive that champions are made of.

Serra is an extremely down-to-earth guy, who loves the sport so much he spent two years living in the basement of the first Serra Jiu-Jitsu school he opened. Then unsolicitied, he says, "winning the championship wouldn't change me. I'm not going to be one of those guys who starts referring to himself in the third-person. And if I do, I expect someone to punch me in the head."

He knows he's considered the underdog in the fight, but that's actually a situation he loves, because at just 5-6 1/2 ("and a-half!" he repeats for emphasis), he's been an underdog in a lot of fights, yet the fact that he is just one win away from wearing a championship belt around his waist tells you how often he's bucked the odds.

Pete "Drago" Sell and Luke Cummo, also fight on the April 7 card and often train with Serra, so if all three should win, Houston will see a party worthy of Texas' big reputation.

But can Serra win? He looks in great shape, and his workouts have been stressing stamina as he's been working hard in preparation for his first fight that could go a full 25 minutes (remember, title fights are five rounds).

Does he see holes in St. Pierre's game? Not necessarily. And he can't even work up any ill feelings for his opponent, saying, "Georges is a nice guy. A gentleman, really." But if you ask him what it would mean to him to win the championship, you can see the look in his eyes change. This is the man who became the first American to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In some ways, that makes him a US pioneer. He is proud of his achievements and says there's more ahead.

Here's the thing about fighting Serra that sparring partners discover: one wrong move and it's over. That's how good he is with submissions. One careless move and you're ligaments are in danger, one misstep and you're suddenly fading from consciousness.

(Source)

Trigg Talks About Comeback, Lawler, and Pride

By Steven Marrocco

Frank Trigg is enjoying a renaissance. Only a year ago, the veteran fighter was sitting on his couch, watching TV and eating junk food. He was retired as could be. Like many competitors who bow out, his training partners and colleagues brought him back into the fold.

After tasting the MMA life once again, he fully reinvested himself, signing on to fight Jason “Mayhem” Miller for the ICON sport middleweight title. “Mayhem” had just taken the title from Miletich fighter Robbie Lawler in September 2006, and had built a huge following in Hawaii. After fighting his way out of a rear-naked choke, his historical kryptonite, he went on to beat Miller via TKO in the second round.

Trigg continued in his winning ways in 2007, defeating Pride Middleweight Champion Kazuo Misaki via unanimous decision at Pride’s second U.S. show. While Trigg had definitely made a statement with the defeat of the champ, he acknowledged it wasn’t the most dazzling of fights to watch.

“He wasn’t doing much on the bottom and wasn’t letting me move, Trigg told reporters. “They talked about how good his striking was and it really wasn’t all that good. Mediocre at best. He was just so passive on the ground, and then I couldn’t knee him [in north-south position]. I couldn’t finish the fight the way I wanted to finish it.”

When FCF spoke to Trigg, he was ramping down his training camp, getting much needed rest in preparation for the fight. “It’s been going really good,” Trigg said of his preparation. “We’ve kept things moving forward. This week, we shut things down a little bit, as far as everything else, it’s all about fight week.”

Not surprisingly, his preparation has included a lot of boxing. For the last 8 years, Trigg has been refining his striking technique with pure boxers to develop his finesse. “I’ve gotten responses from a couple of pro boxers last week,” he boasted. “Even the pro boxers are like ‘We’re really impressed with how good you are. Your defense, how you throw straight punches.’”

Robbie Lawler, his opponent this Saturday, March 31st, has proven striking credentials. Lawler has never been accused of being passive in his fights, nor shying away from throwing hands. Trigg was quick to assess the threat he poses.

“Big haymaker thrower, big right hook, big left hand,” he said of his foe. “Likes to go for knockout power, he’s definitely got one punch dropping power. He’s one of those guys that can drill.”

(Continue Reading)

Ellenberger, Schembri, Moore Confirmed for First MMA Show in Washington, DC

By John Buhl

Jake Ellenberger, Antonio “Nino” Schembri and Homer Moore are all confirmed to fight in the Mixed Martial Arts Championship’s (MMAC) inaugural event on May 12 at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. – the first sanctioned MMA event in the nation’s capital – organization promoter Omar Olumee said today.

Moore (25-7-2) – a frequent Rage in the Cage participant – lost to Evan Tanner at UFC 34, and has a decision win over Joe Riggs on his resume. He’s scheduled to fight Chute Boxe team member Nilson de Castro (10-8-1). In another featured bout, Schembri (3-4) – who has a 3-3 record in Pride FC, including a stoppage win over Kazushi Sakuraba – will face Amir Rahnavardi (9-7), a one-time IFL participant.

The fight card will also include Ellenberger (14-2), a top welterweight prospect with victories over Laverne Clark and Gil Castillo, and decision losses to Jay Hieron and Derrick Noble.

Olumee spent several months working with the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission to get the city to sanction the sport, and said the commission’s officials were already familiar with the sport and wanted to capitalize on its popularity.

“They had heard a lot about it from seminars in Las Vegas,” Olumee said. “They were interested, they just needed someone to approach them about it.”

According to Olumee, the event will be held in a ring and follow the unified rules of MMA.

“It’s going to be in a ring instead of a [cage]. They’re not ready for [a cage] yet.”

Having competed in a variety of combat sport competitions himself, Olumee said he wants to have a “first class” organization that can help develop the talent in the Mid-Atlantic region.

“I’ve been in [martial arts] competitions myself, so I have a fighter’s perspective,” Olumee said. “I want to make sure the fighters are taken care of, and to help the sport grow in this area.”

(Source)

Local fighters to mix it up in 'ultimate' weekend event

By Cyndi Caldwell

PACIFICA — Don't let Bryan Lujan's tough-guy appearance fool you. In the ring, he's a 204-pound force in one of the most brutal sports, "ultimate fighting." But outside competition, as soon as he smiles, he shows humor, honesty, and above all, humility.

Lujan is one of three Pacfica fighters who will compete Saturday in the mixed martial arts Gladiator Challenge card, CHAOS at KEZAR. The event is put on by Jeff Cairns' Pacifica-based promotion company, Full Contact Promotions.

The training is grueling and constant to prepare for an "ultimate fighting" competition that consists of a combination of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and a more traditional form of martial art, most commonly muay thai or jujitsu. Up until recently in California, ultimate fighting was banned because it was considered too violent and lacked guidelines. Since then, major promoters have agreed to a set of rules that make the sport safer.

"Like chess, it's mostly strategy," saidthe 34-year-old Lujan, preparing for his first professional tournament. "You have to try to anticipate what your opponent is going to do, and that's not easy."

His workout regimen consists of running three to four miles every morning. After work, he trains for three and a half hours at either Freestyle Submission Academy (on Westborough in Daly City) or with one of his trainers.

"I usually train about three or four days a week anyway, but in the last couple of months I train every day. I'm really excited that MMA fighting is a legal professional sport now. It gives fighters opportunities they didn't have before, and it keeps everybody honest."

After spending the next few years competing, Lujan doesn't want to teach the art, but said, "I'd like to help support some of the younger fighters, like Bobby Stack. I think he's a talented fighter, and I think he has a future in this sport."

CHAOS at KEZAR takes place this Saturday at Kezar Stadium, 755 Stanyan St., San Francisco. For event information visit www.gladiatorchallenge.com.

and to purchase tickets online, go to www.virtualboxoffice.com or call Full Contact Promotions at (650) 355-4327. Tickets are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50.

UFC VETS HEADLINE EXTREME CHALLENGE

UFC vets headline Extreme Challenge card

SLOAN, Iowa – A pair of UFC veterans are featured in main events as Extreme Challenge 76 visits the WinnaVegas Casino for the first time this Saturday.

Justin James, of Omaha, Neb., will face Chris Mickle of Des Moines for the Extreme Challenge lightweight title. It is the second attempt to win the belt for Mickle, while James is hoping to rebound after losing his UFC debut bout to Clay Guida.

Also, UFC vet Joe Jordan will try for his 12th straight victory since losing his UFC debut to Hermes Franca. Jordan will fight hard-hitting Sam Jackson.

Also featured on the show is a 4-man heavyweight tourney that is part of a tourney that will produce a new face for Pride. Winner of the Extreme Challenge tourney will advance to Honolulu, Hawaii, to fight in the 4-man finals, where the winner will receive a Pride contract.

Competing in the tourney are: Todd Allee of Michigan, Paul Antoniak of Nebraska, Jon Murphy of Pennsylvania, and Houston Alexander of Iowa.

For ticket information, call 800 468-9466 (ext. 128).

EXTREME CHALLENGE 76
March 31, 2007 * WinnaVegas Casino

Co-Main Events
Chris Mickle (20-11) vs. Justin James (13-6)
Extreme Challenge Lightweight title

Sam Jackson vs. Joe Jordan

Main Card
Kris Fluerestil vs. Tom Speer, 175
Jason Bowling vs. Brian Nichols, 185
Ken Sargeant vs. Chuck Parmalee, 185
Justin Wilcox vs. Brice Teager, 155

Heavyweight 4-man tournament
Todd Allee (0-0) vs. Paul Antoniak (0-0)
Jon Murphy (3-0) vs. Houston Alexander (5-1)

Opening bout
Brian Ewers vs. Curtis Free, 200

HBO looking outside the boxing ring...Network negotiating with UFC

By Steven Zeitchik

Is extreme fighting the next boxing?

It could be if HBO gets involved.

The pay net, which airs many of the premiere boxing bouts, has held negotiations with top mixed martial arts org Ultimate Fighting Championship about rights to its top-level fights.

HBO has a storied history in boxing. But with the heavyweight division in disarray and lacking marketable stars, television outlets are expanding their scope.

"We are talking to the UFC and looking at ways we can distinguish ourselves in that area," acknowledged HBO topper Chris Albrecht.

Despite reports that some in net's boxing division have reservations about mixed martial arts, Albrecht reassures that "if we decide to be in the mixed martial arts business, we'll make sure it's as distinctive as everything else HBO does."

Mixed martial arts has been gaining in popularity since it outlawed more rogue types of fighting ("small joint manipulation" and "fishhooking," according to its official rules).

A deal with the UFC for pay-per-view-level fights would give the sport another credibility stamp; in turn, it could help HBO attract a young aud.

Other cable nets have dined out on mixed martial arts.

Earlier in the week Showtime announced a pay-per-view fight with rival UFC group FEG to be held at the L.A. Coliseum.

And Spike, which was an early entrant to the sport with its reality series "Ultimate Fighter," drew a 3.1 household rating, a 6.0 rating among men 18-34 and 4.2 million total viewers for a fight in the fall.

The biggest sign of a shift? Sports leader ESPN confirms that it has held exploratory talks with the UFC to, um, fishhook some rights.

(Source)

Helena Havoc II - Tonight

After 1,350 fans showed up for the Helena Havoc no-holds-barred fight last September, organizer Brett Hamlin figured there was enough interest for a second event.

So here comes Helena Havoc 2.

“This is our fourth or fifth fight statewide,” Hamlin said on Thursday. “We just got a phenomenal response after last time; when we were done, I don’t know how many calls we got from people saying they missed it and wanted to come to the next one.”

Ultimate fighting is a mix of boxing, wrestling and martial arts — pretty much a bare-knuckle street fight in a ring with three judges giving points for style and substance. Fighters go two rounds for four minutes, with the potential of a two-minute overtime if a tie ensues.

Hamlin theorizes that part of its attraction is that by combining a variety of fighting skills, a boxer can go up against a wrestler who can go up against a street fighter to decide not what is the dominant sport, but who’s tougher overall.

“Boxing is a tough sport, but it doesn’t answer the question of who is tougher — a boxer, a wrestler or a guy doing karate,” Hamlin said. “This sport brings it all together.”

They can win in a couple of ways, including by points, by knock-out or by giving up. The referee can also stop a fight, and a fighter’s corner can throw in the towel to protect him.

“By boxing or kick-boxing you can hit someone in the face until they’re knocked out. In this sport, you can attempt that or take the guy down on the ground and put them in a submission hold until they quit — maybe they don’t want their arm broke or don’t want to be put in a choke hold until they pass out,” Hamlin said.

Local fighters include Casey Kelly, Ramon Ramos and Brad Smith. Hamlin said other fighters will come to Helena from Washington, Wyoming, elsewhere in Montana and the Dakotas.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting an hour later, tonight at the Helena Ice Arena. Tickets are $10 and $20 for general admission, $30 for reserved seating and $500 for a ringside table that seats ten.

Tickets are available at www.fightforce.tv, 1-888-tvForce or the Helena Ice Arena.

Taylor puts middleweight title on line vs. Spinks

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Jermain Taylor's promoter has heard enough criticism of the middleweight champion's choice of opponents.

Taylor will put his title on the line May 19 against Cory Spinks in Memphis, Tenn. It's Taylor's second straight fight against someone from a smaller weight class. Spinks, the son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, is the IBF junior middleweight champion.

"This fight was offered to a large number of middleweights who turned it down," said Lou DiBella, Taylor's promoter.

Organizers held a teleconference Thursday for the fight, which will be televised by HBO. Included on the call was Don King, Spinks' promoter.

"I've never met Don King," Taylor said. "Looking forward to meeting him."

King called Taylor "one of the best out there."

Taylor, a Little Rock native, beat former junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma in a December decision. That fight was in North Little Rock.

Before that, though, Taylor (26-0-1) proved he was willing and able to fight the middleweight division's top names. He became the middleweight champion in July 2005 by beating Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas, then outpointed Hopkins there again that December. Taylor escaped with a draw against Winky Wright in June in Memphis.

Spinks is 36-3.

"I want to fight the best," Spinks said. "And Jermain is the best."

Spinks outpointed Rodney Jones last month.

NAMES IN THE GAME: IFL'S KEVIN ENGLISH

By Mick Hammond

Kevin “Bad Boy” English is just one of those types of fighters that people love to root for.

He’s a hard working, determined fighter, who has taken on the sport as his full-time job. More importantly, he’s a dedicated family man just trying to earn a living, keep food on the table, clothes on the backs and a roof over his family’s heads.

After years of fighting on small, local shows, with occasional trips to other states, English will be getting the biggest opportunity of his career as he steps up into an IFL superfight on their April 7th card in Moline, Illinois. There he will face MMA veteran standout Jeff “The Frog” Curran.

“The opportunity itself is outstanding,” exclaimed Kevin of his chance to headline an IFL show. “This is what I’ve been working for, a big fight with a good payday, with a big headline to help me move along in MMA.”

Moving along, continuing to work hard towards bettering himself as a fighter is something that English has been doing for quite a while. Even though he comes from a high pedigree background, he knows that to succeed in MMA, he has to become a complete fighter and he pushes himself constantly to do so.

“I started as a wrestler, just wrestling, and I actually trained with the US Olympic program in Northern Michigan when I was around 19,” said Kevin. “It was a Greco Roman program geared towards young athletes that were geared towards making the Olympics. I left there and ended up coming home, coaching, [and] doing a little bit of MMA just for fun.”

English continued, “So I started as a wrestler and evolved into a more well-rounded fighter, doing Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [as well].”

(Continue Reading)

A WORD FROM THE ASIAN SENSATION...

By Al Yu

…magnitude.

Mag·ni·tude

- noun

1. great importance or consequence: affairs of magnitude.

2. greatness of size or amount.

After much speculation, the face of mixed martial arts has changed forever. The sale of Pride Fighting Championships signified the largest acquisition in MMA history. Reactions spanned the spectrum of emotions as the monumental news set in. Some were saddened. Many were ecstatic. Others are still in disbelief. Gone are the wearisome, yet often tumultuous UFC vs. Pride debates. The obstruction to the seemingly unattainable match-ups has been lifted.

At Tuesday’s press conference in Japan, sadness could be sensed from Dream Stage Entertainment CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Say what you will about Sakakibara, his passion for the organization was unmistakable. Unfortunately, 2006 was a damaging year for DSE and the company continued to hurt financially into the New Year.

Enter the Fertitta brothers.

Casino moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are intelligent businessmen. Along with Dana White, they brought the UFC out of the depths and turned it into a mainstream juggernaut. Although the sale of Pride must have been a difficult decision for Sakakibara, he chose to put the company into the capable hands of the Fertittas.

I’d be lying if I said part of me wasn’t sad. However, I remain optimistic with the notion that Pride’s new owners will keep the organization intact. I’m confident that they have the expertise and resources to turn Pride around and possibly secure another television contract in Japan.

New management may have been the financial savior for the ailing organization but the uncertainty of the future peaks some of our curiosity. We can be thankful that Pride will sustain its existence. However, for some, graciousness has been met with an equivocal attitude. Loyal fans savored their fondest Pride moments as if a sinking ship were left to meet its final resting place. To them, Pride Fighting Championships was a revered work of art, the perfect blend of competitiveness and showmanship. Utilizing that successful formula, Pride entertained fans with its trademark production value.

(Continue Reading)

UFC fighter Alessio Sakara, Talks about His Next Fight in England

Alessio Sakara will be fighting in what could be his last chance at UFC glory. This incredible striker, has had a bit of rough luck in his last two outings. Many American fans do not know, the circumstances which cut short his potential wins. Today you can find out, more about the man who goes by the nick name "Legionarius".

Pleasanton, CA, March 30, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Alessio Sakara is an enigma to many American Fans. Sakara is a national hero, in the fight world of Italy. Look around the world of mixed martial arts, and you will see he is the only person representing Rome in the UFC.

Fight Sponsor asked him about his last loss in the UFC, it looked as though he was dominating until he fell out suddenly. Alessio told Fight Sponsor that he was not acclimated to Las Vegas, he left Rome at the last minute. It is becoming more widely known amongst fighters, to arrive at least a week early before their fight. Many fighters believe, every hour of flight requires arriving that many days sooner.

Alessio had some major battles under his belt, before arriving in the UFC an unknown. He has fought a couple of much bigger oponents, to very close decisions. These would include Roman Zentsov of Bodog fight, and Assuerio Silva who is a heavy weight in the UFC.

It is clear that this man show signs of incredible potential, he plans on showing us some fireworks at UFC 70 in England. This will be one of the largest watched MMA events in history, and will be aired on Spike TV this April 21 for free.

Fight Sponsor: Good evening Alessio, thanks for meeting with us for this interview. We would like to know how your training is going for your next fight in UFC 70?
Alessio: My workouts are going great. It is less than a month away, and I'm in top shape already. My new team has been giving their all, and were doing big things for this next fight. I want to thank my teachers Ricardo De LaRiva & Moacir Boca Oliveira. I also want to thank my Jiu Jitsu & MMA trainers Dezeo & Julio. To top it all off, I thank Edoardo Ferinho. Training with this team is awesome, because I get to train with seven top fighters. This training has helped me reach new levels of performance.

Fight Sponsor: What is the formal name of the team you are fighting under in England?
Alessio: I have always had the Sakara Team assist me in my combat career, and they all belong to Team De La Riva e Boca Jiu Jitsu.

Fight Sponsor: I understand you are living in Miami. What is it like experiencing a new city, in a far away land from home?
Alessio: I live close to Miami Beach, I'm actually in Coconut Grove. This is such a beautiful place. I have met some incredible people. They were really interested in my athletic career, so they decided to help me. I want to thank Robert the owner of Berries, who makes sure I never go hungry.

Fight Sponsor: What was it like growing up in Italy?
Alessio: I love Italy, Rome, and my home in Pomezia. At 15 I started traveling all around the world, now I love to go back and visit my friends and family.

Fight Sponsor: What got you into mixed martial arts?
Alessio: When I was young, I used to box for my teacher Silvano Falloni (who still trains me when I fight in Italy). Since the boxing federation did not pay so well, I lived a pretty irregular lifestyle. One day my dear friend Marco DePaola, showed me a tape of UFC 5. Suddenly I understood my destiny. I knew I would have to make changes in my life, and dedicate myself to this sport. My only other choices would be nothing to be proud of (laughs).

Fight Sponsor: How popular is the sport of MMA in Italy?
Alessio: Italian MMA is always growing, this year I am trying to work with some friends to create an MMA federation. I will eventually put on a big event twice a year, hoping to help the sport grow in Italy. My cousins Marco, Sandro, and Liberati, offered me the chance to teach MMA in Body Fight gym of Rome. I will travel back every once in a while, and be assisted by my teacher Gianfranco Delli Paoli in order to train new athletes in Valetudo.

Fight Sponsor: Where do you think the world of MMA will be in the next five years?
Alessio: Five years from now, MMA will be at the same level or better than boxing was at their peak. We will have to see.

Fight Sponsor: What is the story behind all your tattoos?
Alessio: My tattoos are the story. They are about the pride, strength, and valor that it took to build the incredible empire of Rome. I am proud of my heritage, and show people about where I come from

Fight Sponsor: Your next fight is against Victor Valimaki, what do you predict the outcome will be?
Alessio: I am not a wizard, or have a crystal ball to see the future. I do know I am in great shape, and will do my best to win.

Fight Sponsor: What would you like us to tell all of your American fans?
Alessio: I didn’t even realize I had any American fans, until tons of email started pouring into my mailbox. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart, and I will do my best not to let you down. Please make sure to watch my next fight on April 21 in England.

For more information go to www.AlessioSakara.com or www.fightsponsor.com .

Gonzaga sends a message to "Cro Cop"

Talking to Sherdog.com, Gabriel Gonzaga promised that Mirko Filipovic, his opponent in Manchester, England on April 21, will not have an easy fight.

"I will win by submission or knockout," boldly stated Gonzaga, who took his family to live in the U.S. four months ago. With three wins in three Octagon fights, the Brazilian heavyweight sent a direct message to "Cro Cop."

"He will have to try his title shot among the light heavyweights, against Chuck Liddell, because the name of the next No. 1 contender to the heavyweight title is Gabriel Gonzaga," Napao predicted.

How the UFC-Pride merger will change the sport

By BRAD McCRAY

Ten months ago, the most powerful men in the world of mixed martial arts sat down for dinner at a casino restaurant. Lorenzo Fertitta, co-owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championships with brother Frank, met with Noboyuki Sakakibara, the president of Pride FC, to discuss the future of their sport. The fruits of that discussion ripened into the biggest shift in MMA history this week when the Fertittas bought Pride to create a virtual MMA empire.

Seemingly more popular by the day, the UFC is the unquestioned king of American MMA. Pride had once been the world's top MMA organization, drawing more than 90,000 fans to an event in 2002. But the organization lost its television deal in 2006 and suffered a string of bad luck to set the stage for the purchase.

Now the MMA world is abuzz with possibilities. Large media outlets covered the merger. UFC president Dana White is promising an annual "Super Bowl" of MMA that will bring together champions from both organizations. Such an event could finally bring the coverage from ESPN, which White covets.

HOW IT WILL WORK
Other than the annual MMA megafight, the organizations will continue to operate independently under separate brands. "The UFC is American-centric and Pride is Japan-centric and we will keep it that way," Lorenzo Fertitta said.

Each federation also is expanding. The UFC is making a European push, holding an event next month in England. Pride is expected to make forays into China.

Pride fights will have some rule changes to comply with the UFC. But Pride will continue to fight in a ring with ropes. UFC will continue to use its trademarked Octagon.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR FANS
UFC-Pride is a dream come true for fans, who have long filled the Internet with dream match-ups they believed they would never see. Now those fights will happen. Plus, Pride will benefit from the UFC marketing machine in America.

The UFC and Pride tried to come together last July, with White even announcing an upcoming fight between UFC champion Chuck Liddell and then-Pride champion Wanderlei Silva during UFC 61. But the fight never happened. "I'll never do that again," White said. "We thought it was going to happen and Wanderlei was there, so the timing seemed right."

Fertitta said Pride will retain heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the best fighter in the world. Emelianenko is currently on a one-fight contract with BodogFight.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR FIGHTERS
Fighters just lost a lot of leverage. It would be hard to imagine the UFC and Pride bidding against each other at this point. For fighters already tied up in other organizations, the merger likely has little impact. When the news broke Monday, members of the IFL's Portland Wolfpack reacted with simple curiosity. However, for high-ranked free agents like Matt Lindland, their ability to find big pay days got more difficult.

"The big name fighters lose some of their market power," IFL president Gareb Shamus said. "They lose that competition on the dollar."

WHAT IT MEANS FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
In January, The Oregonian reported the UFC was on the a path of major acquisitions. Now, after buying its top rival, it may level its focus on others like EliteXC. But despite UFC's trend of absorbing its competition, some organizations are pleased with the merger.

"Anything that puts MMA in the spotlight is good for us," Shamus said. "It just raises the profile. There are a dozen football games on every Sunday, and no one says there's too much football. People love fighting. We haven't scratched the surface of what the public wants to see."

With its team concept, the IFL seems least similar to the UFC. It also has a television deal and a two-hour show on Fox every Monday. "We're doing UFC ratings on Fox," Shamus said. "IFL Battleground drew a 0.7 nationally. UFC Unleashed drew a 0.8 on Spike."

INTERNET FIGHTS: As detailed last week in this space, ProElite.com will be streaming the ICON Sport "Epic" card out of Hawaii on Saturday. The card is headlined by Frank Trigg vs. Robbie Lawler for the ICON middleweight belt. It is believed to be the first free live stream of a title match. For more information, check www.proelite.com.

(Source)

Interview: Swick discusses UFC 69, Okami and going home

By Jatinder Dhoot

With UFC 69 rapidly approaching, Houston is ready to welcome Mike Swick back home. Fighting in front of his family and friends will be a huge thrill for the Houston native, but Japanese sensation Yushin Okami will be seeking to spoil the night for Swick and his faithful.

In a recent interview, Swick gave his thoughts on what challenges Okami will present and how he plans to counter them. The middleweight contender also sheds some light on what it will be like fighting in his hometown, why he considers his last victory to be like a loss and how he has grown since his last bout.

Q: What are you working on specifically for Okami?
MS: I'm definitely working on my cardio and strength, wrestling takedowns and takedown defense and my strikes. I'm looking to make this a standing fight.

Q: What's the game plan for this fight?
MS: With Okami, the game plan is not to get taken down. (But) if I do get taken down, to work submissions or get back to my feet, or reverse, because obviously where I don't want to be with him is on my back.

Q: What unique challenges does Okami pose to you executing your game plan?
MS: The only difference is that Okami has a different style of takedown in that he likes to use his southpaw stance and trip the leg when he comes in for the body lock and takedown, which is different than Kos (Josh Koscheck) and (Jon) Fitch. So I've had a couple of southpaws just work that on me over and over and over again so I can avoid that, because I don't have a lot of experience defending the southpaw shot, especially the way he trips the leg like he does. It makes it really difficult to sprawl out because I usually sprawl the opposite way of that. If I sprawl the way I usually sprawl, my front leg, which is my left leg, will be the last thing to sprawl out and that's the first thing that he hooks. So I've got to be very careful with that.

Q: What have you improved the most in the past few months?
MS: I'd say more than anything probably my ground game, but also my hand speed and explosiveness as well. I would say my boxing and my ground game are the few things that have improved the most since the Loiseau fight.

Q: Was defeating a tough opponent in David Loiseau in your last fight a big confidence booster for you?
MS: It wasn't really a confidence booster at all. Actually, I almost took it as a loss. I felt really bad after that fight and felt I had a very bad performance and beat myself up about it. I learned I'm definitely not going to make the same mistakes I made going into that fight.

Q: What were you disappointed about?
MS: First of all, I didn't do what I should have coming into the fight. So I didn't train as long as I should have in areas that I should have in terms of my muscular endurance. I was playing catch-up because I was doing a lot of PR and outside stuff that I shouldn't have been doing, and then toward the end I felt as though I was behind, so I trained too soon up until the fight. I didn't give myself adequate time to recover, so when the third round came in, I think my body just gave out on me. It's a horrible feeling to have in the middle of a fight, especially against such a tough opponent as David Loiseau. I mean, your muscular endurance runs out, and your body starts giving out on you, so I'm doing everything in my power to take measures to not let that happen again.

Q: You were hoping for a title shot after Loiseau? How do you feel about not getting it, and how did this fight with Okami come about?
MS: I think there's some title shots already lined up, and since I can't get a title shot, I'm obviously going to fight whoever they tell me. It doesn't really concern me about the title shot. It's going to come when it comes. I'm not letting that cloud my mind right now. I'm just focused on getting fights and winning them; otherwise, worrying about a title shot would be pointless. We looked at some tough opponents, and Okami is a tough opponent who's 19-3 overall and 3-0 in the UFC and on a tear. We just figured it'd be a great opportunity to fight a tough opponent and challenge ourselves. He's not a joke opponent.

Q: What are your thoughts on Okami's fights in the UFC?
MS: I think he's very tough and has good cardio. He likes to push the pace in the third. He starts out very methodical and slow and passive, he tends to let his opponents wear out a little bit, and when they get tired and mentally frustrated, he picks it up in the third and usually gets the TKO by ground and pound.

Q: How is training different for this fight compared to camps in the past?
MS: This is the longest I've ever trained for a fight. We trained extremely hard over 12 weeks because I was going to fight on the Ohio card on March 3. Because this event is in Texas, and I'm from Houston and the hometown boy, we decided to postpone it (laughs).

Q: How excited are you to be fighting in Houston?
MS: Oh, it's a dream come true. I always dreamed of fighting in a big stadium in Houston where I'm from, I just never thought it would happen because MMA was banned there when I first started. So now it's actually happening.

Q: Will you perform better because of the hometown support?
MS: I think so. This is my fan base since I first started, and they're just happy I made it to where I am today. It's not like these guys are going to turn on me if I come up short. I feel like they're genuine fans and family and friends, so I don't have that much pressure as far as I'm concerned. I just want to perform great for them and give them a great show. If there was any time to perform great, it's going to be this time.

Q: When do you slow down your training as you approach the fight?
MS: The last week before the fight, usually, I'll start tapering down and get more focused on my recovery and get ready for the fight.

(Source)

Live Radio: Penn, Barnett, Hendo and More - 10 PST/1 EST

The Savage Dog Show and Beatdown return live on Friday.

Along with the latest news updates, B.J. Penn, Josh Barnett, Dan Henderson, Frank Trigg and "Charuto" Renato Verissimo are scheduled to discuss the world of mixed martial arts and take listener phonecalls.

(Listen In)

Evil Note: Wow!...Sounds like its gonna be a heckuva show!.

Just My Thoughts: Holy Smokes!

By Mike Sloan

It was inevitable. One way or another, the two mixed martial arts giants were going to come together. Somewhere, somehow, someday it just had to happen. And to be quite frank, I literally saw it coming but I never figured it would happen this soon and in this manner. The UFC and PRIDE have finally become one, two betrothed lovers locked in a passionate embrace on a sandy beach in the summer.

Ultimate treasure trove of battles has finally been unearthed

Not since the day when Vanilla Ice teamed up with the Ninja Turtles for "Ninja Rap" has there been a partnership more paramount, more ground-breaking than the merger between UFC and PRIDE. Obviously there are so many more rocks to be overturned as this new deal irons itself out, but I'm happier than a fat kid in a vat of Skittles.

Provided everything involved with the sale of PRIDE to the Brothers Fertitta goes along as planned and assuming everything about the Japanese show stays the same, the possibilities are endless.

For almost a decade there have been truly only two MMA organizations that really mattered: UFC and PRIDE. It seems like forever and a day that fight fans have clamored for the two giants to mix things up a bit and deliver the absolute greatest fights imaginable, yet all we got was Chuck Liddell (Pictures) entering the 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix and Ricco Rodriguez (Pictures) squaring off against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures).

Days of crying over wishes that fall on deaf ears appear to be a thing of a terrible past. Instead of PRIDE's best warriors pillaging hordes of pro wrestling tomato cans and UFC's absurd ranking system we should finally be given the absolute best fighting. It now looks likely that the ultimate showdowns we've desired in all likelihood will become a reality.

Just a few super fights I'd kill a cat burglar for:

(Continue Reading)

Interview: Tito Ortiz

MMA Sports: Your last fight with Chuck Liddell, your stand up looked great, you were trading with him, what were your thoughts on the fight and do you think it was stopped prematurely?
Tito: I think it was stopped prematurely, I watched the fight four or five times and when I'm getting hit in the face and I'm not intelligently defending myself, then you stop the fight. When someone's punching on the top of the forearm or you defend yourself all the time with your hands up, then you don't stop the fight. I kind of take into consideration, why wasn't John McCarthy the ref of it? John McCarthy's refereed all my championship fights and Chuck Liddell's championship fights and pretty much all of the championship fights in the UFC history, why all of a sudden they are going to change it, let somebody in who is an amateur ref do it.

MMA Sports: Do you want to fight Chuck again?
Tito: Right now, UFC want me to do a couple of fights and get back into number one contention. For me I am still the number one contender, I don't see anyone else beating me. Whoever it takes me to beat down and put me back up in the number one position, I'm just willing to step up and fight. That rematch is one thing that I'm looking forward to have happen. The fight that we had I made a couple of mistakes and the next time I won't make the same mistakes.

MMA Sports: What would you do differently?
Tito: A little bit more head movement, I think a little bit of a confidence issue, I have to have a lot more confidence in what I do, I've been doing it for so long now, I can't be second guessing of what I'm going to be doing. I just got to go out there and do it.

MMA Sports: You and Jenna Jameson, how did you both meet?
Tito: We met on My Space. She has myspace.com/jennajameson and I have myspace.com/theofficialtitoortiz and we sent messages back and forward and she said she was coming to a fight when I fought Shamrock the second time and we just started talking from there and started dating. We have been together happily ever since.

MMA Sports: What is it you admire most about her?
Tito: The thing what I most admire about her is her work ethic. She is a very intelligent bright woman with some of the business side of things she does and it's very impressive to see a woman at her statue doing some of the things she does. She helps me now out with some of the contract negotiations things that I have, so it's really good to have someone as powerful as her next to my side and as smart as she is and how beautiful she is a blessing in disguise.

MMA Sports: Would you consider her a positive influence in your life, both as a fighter and a person?
Tito: Yes a complete positive influence. She has taught me a lot about the business game that I have never known before and I'm really happy to be with her and having her by my side. It's really nice.

MMA Sports: You're the owner of punishment athletics, just how big is it?
Tito: Punishment Athletics started in 1999 and I started with 500 bucks and it became a multimillion dollar company. It's just one of the things that is going to get bigger and bigger and its going to start taking over.

MMA Sports: How much are you involved in the business side of it?
Tito: About 50-60% of all it but as you know I am 100% owner of the company. People who work under it do amazing jobs with some of the stuff we have been doing, there's a lot of little small business points that we have to make sure we do right for a clothing company and we have been doing them, making sure we get great designs, make sure we get great clothing that people will like to wear.

MMA Sports: Is there any fighters in particular you’d like to fight?
Tito: Chuck Liddell of course, I'm not going to let chuck keep my world title. But it really don't matter to me, anybody, anyone they put in front of me I am willing to fight, it really doesn't matter at all. I have never really been a person to pick and choose the fighters who I fight, as long as everything was right, money wise and so forth, the contracts and there a lot of side stuff that people really do not pay attention to. I just want to make sure that I never get taken advantage off. Whoever they put in front of me I have no problem fighting.

MMA Sports: Did you and Ken Shamrock really dislike each other that much or was some of it show?
Tito: In my mind I thought it was 100% real, I take it very seriously. I really felt like I was being disrespected by him and I'm not just going to let someone disrespect me. I'm going to stand up for what I believe in. Me shutting him up each and every time quicker and quicker made it that much more glorious for me to know what I did.

MMA Sports: How did you get the nickname the Huntington Beach Bad Boy?
Tito: When I first starting fighting in the UFC, I was cocky, in my mind confident, flamboyant, had a lot of charisma. I talked smack and when I talked smack I backed it up. I was from Huntington Beach and I had a bad boy image, the flames on my shorts, bleached hair, some of the things I said. I spoke my mind and that's when they gave me the nickname the Huntington Beach Bad Boy.

MMA Sports: How did you get into the UFC?
Tito: I was training with Tank Abbott, I thought I would give it a try and see what I can do in there. So in May 30th 1997 I fought my first time in the UFC and I stopped the guy in 22 seconds.

MMA Sports: You had a difficult up bringing, at 13 raised by a single mom, at the wrong side of the law at times, how did you end up here?
Tito: I really got to see how hard life would really be for us, living in motels, living in cars, people's garages, I really didn't want that for myself. I like the luxury things, I like the nice cars and nice houses and I got to see that at a young age with some of my older friends and I was like how come I can't have that. Well I came to realize that its comes with a lot of hard work and when I got into high school, I kind of changed everything around where I took wrestling, and all of a sudden when I graduated I was like wow maybe this is my chance. So I got educated and went to college and became a fighter. It was a chance to make really great money. I started my clothing company; it was like my business took over. With hard work and dedication you can achieve anything in life as long as you work as hard as you possibly can at it.

(Source)

Floyd puts the World on Blast

By Thomas Gerbasi

Oscar De La Hoya. Shane Mosley. Golden Boy Promotions. Bob Arum. Don King. Even the nosy media. No one was safe from the vitriol of four-division world champ Floyd Mayweather during a Wednesday media teleconference, adding some more life to the biggest boxing event of 2007.

Conversely, the ‘Golden Boy’s portion of the call was significantly more sedate, no surprise after the media circus that saw the two traipse around the country to promote their May 5th megafight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But Mayweather’s mouth has started to get on the nerves of De La Hoya.

“I truly feel that Mayweather needs a humbling experience,” said De La Hoya. “He really is a little brat. Just the way he comes across, he’s very arrogant. We were on a press tour and he can get on the podium and say a few nice things and then his real side comes out. It’s uncalled for and unnecessary. You would never see Tiger Woods talk bad about Jack Nicklaus. It’s disrespectful and revs me up.”

Not that the hyper ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ needs any revving of his own.

“There are two things we know about Oscar – we know he gets tired and we know that he will lay down,” said Mayweather, referring to De La Hoya’s 2004 knockout loss to Bernard Hopkins. “We also know Oscar can be beat because he’s got four ‘L’s. In Oscar’s last four fights, he’s 2-2. In my last four fights, I’m 4-0. There’s no style that can beat Floyd Mayweather because we haven’t seen him lose yet.”

Through 37 fights, Mayweather has been perfect while rising to the top of many pound for pound lists, and in many pundits’ eyes, the Grand Rapids native will enter the ring this spring as a heavy favorite. So to close the gap a bit, De La Hoya has enlisted Freddie Roach as his trainer, a change from Floyd Mayweather Sr., but a successful move thus far as far as ‘The Golden Boy’ is concerned.

“The styles are totally different,” said De La Hoya of his past and present trainers. “Floyd Sr. is a great trainer and I have nothing negative to say, but the way they hold the mitts and talk to you is night and day. Freddie is more intense and it’s non-stop with him. Combination after combination, ducking under punches, its constant pressure and it’s gotten me in better shape.”

To get ready for Mayweather’s speed, De La Hoya will even bring in old rival and current business partner Shane Mosley for a month beginning next week.

“We’ve always been friends, ever since we were kids,” said De La Hoya of Mosley, who holds two wins over the East LA native. “He was always the top fighter in the amateurs and every time we would meet or travel together, we always got along. He’s always been a guy I got along with. He’s going to do me the honors of coming down to help me on the second of April and he’ll be here for a month.”

“People are going to be very surprised at how I’ll be able to match his (Mayweather’s) speed,” he continued. “Fighters like this really take me to a whole new level.”

Mayweather was less complimentary of “Sugar Shane”.

“If Shane Mosley is a sparring partner, then that’s what he is,” said Mayweather. “That’s all Shane Mosley’s ever been, was a sparring partner. I can’t really say nothing bad about Shane because he’s not his own boss. If I’m gonna say anything or talk about Shane, I’m gonna talk to his wife or I’m gonna talk to Oscar because they’re his bosses. So all I can say is Shane ain’t nothin’ but a sparring partner.”

Whoa. But he was just getting started, opting to toss out a few jabs at his opponent.

“He ain’t real and you all keep believing the stories he’s been telling you,” said Mayweather of his May dance partner. “Oscar De La Hoya is a fake-ass fighter and he says stuff like I don’t belong to stay in the sport of boxing and I don’t deserve certain things, and we all know that Oscar De La Hoya’s greedy, he’s ungrateful, and he’s a brat. HBO will tell you that. Richard Schaefer says stuff like Oscar De La Hoya is the most decorated champion and the most famous champion. No he’s not. The most famous fighter in boxing ever is either Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. And they say he’s the highest grossing. No, that would be Mike Tyson. And the best fighter would be Floyd Mayweather. You don’t even mention that guy Oscar’s name in the same sentence as us three.”

Next on the firing line was the media, for digging into his own personal affairs when it comes to his relationship with his father.

“We’re here to talk about me and Oscar,” said Mayweather. “I’m not fighting my dad. What happened in the past happened in the past and we’ll leave it at that. The media loves trying to find out what’s going on with me and my dad, and they’re the ones who’ve been keeping all this negative s**t going for all these years and it ain’t even nothing that big. My dad is in the gym everyday, but Roger is my trainer and he’s gonna train me on my May 5th. Me and my dad’s personal business is our personal business. When you interview me I don’t ask you what’s going on with you and your dad or you and your mom.”

What Mayweather did reveal about his reconciliation with his father is that “He’s been in the gym and there’s been nothing but love.” And if De La Hoya’s concerned about Mayweather Jr. getting his strategic secrets from Sr., he’s not letting on.

“I don’t think it’s gonna make a difference,” said De La Hoya. “We have him down and it’s not gonna be a fight where I have to change my strategy or my whole game. I have to make little adjustments here and there.”

The biggest adjustment Mayweather could be facing will be entering the biggest promotion of his career with the spotlight squarely on him. Sure, he’s been in big fights before, but nothing quite like this. You could chalk his constant chatter up to nerves, but he won’t.

“I’m never nervous,” he bristles. “I’ve been in 18 championship fights. This guy doesn’t pose no threat to me at all. I’ve been in there with every style. He hasn’t been in there with a style like mine. I never fought one fight the same. You just don’t know what Floyd Mayweather you’re gonna get on May 5th, but I promise you this, you will get an exciting fight.”

And if you believe the 30-year old Mayweather, it will be his last promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

“I don’t ever want to do business with Golden Boy Promotions again,” he said. “I can’t say what the future holds, but you can see how the company is. It’s like when Bernard Hopkins’ nephew (Demetrius) fought. He was Golden Boy Promotions, he fought Steve Forbes, he got his ass kicked, and look how they gave him the fight. So going into this fight, you’ve got to watch them because they’re slick – they’ve got tricks up their sleeves and they know what I’m talking about. They get mad about me putting their company on blast but to be honest, they’re no different from Don King or Bob Arum. Oscar talks bad about Bob Arum, but then he goes and do the same thing Bob Arum do.”

Floyd Mayweather won’t make any friends with his comments on Wednesday, but that’s okay. He’s not in the friend-making business; he’s in the fighting business, and in this game, winning is everything. And that’s what he plans on doing on May 5th. As he puts it, “I’m a fighter with special effects, I can do whatever it takes to win.”

(Source)

Nova União back competing at CBJJ

Photo by Marcelo Alonso

The leader of the Brazilian team Nova União, André Pederneiras, announced this week that the Nova União team is back t compete BJJ by the Brazilian BJJ Confederation (CBJJ). The team was four years without competing by the CBJJ organization, and then now they will be able to live again some historical confrontations that were held at the first editions of the World Championships, especially between the light fighters of Nova União and Gracie Barra teams.

“We already did our contract with the Confederation and we will be back fighting under their events, we will fight already at the BJJ World Championship in August. We will have a meeting to know which athletes will be competing there and how we will get some sponsorship for them to be able to go to ”, told Dedé Pederneiras.

(Source)

Onzuka Brothers Selected to Receive Icon Achievement Award

March 29, 2007 Honolulu, HI. Hawaii twin brothers Chris and Mike Onzuka, have been part of Hawaii’s mixed martial arts landscape since the sport’s inception. “The Twins,” as they are often called by Hawaii MMA insiders, have been selected to receive the Icon Sport Achievement Award at the Saturday, March 31st Icon event “EPIC.”

The Onzuka brothers got their start into martial arts in late 1991, when they enrolled into a jiu-jitsu academy operated by Relson Gracie, one son of the famed Brazilian martial arts family. The Onzukas originally discovered the Gracie art after reading an article in Black Belt Magazine entitled “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu versus the World.” The article told of the Gracie family challenging their martial art against other styles in no-holds-barred competitions. Through the Onzuka’s relationship with the Gracie family, they were clued into the planning of the Gracie’s Ultimate Fighting Championship. The brothers traveled to Denver, Colorado in November 1993 to witness UFC #1.

The Onzuka brothers volunteered their services to promoter T. Jay Thompson when he held his first Hawaii Super Brawl events in 1995. Thompson immediately put them to task in multiple roles, including judging, advising, and commentating.

In 1999 the Onzuka’s created “www.onzuka.com,” a personal website that quickly grew into the primary resource for mixed martial arts, grappling, and traditional martial arts news and information in the State of Hawaii.

Chris and Mike Onzuka either referee or assist with almost every grappling and mixed martial arts competition in Hawaii. Both are accomplished competitors as well, each having earned brown belt status in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Mike Onzuka also holds a brown belt in judo, which he earned at Honolulu’s prestigious Shobukan Judo Club. The brown belt, both in jiu-jitsu and judo, is the final belt a practitioner can receive before earning the highest level of accomplishment, the black belt. Off-the-mat and outside-the -ring, both have been instrumental in providing crucial testimony to State lawmakers and the State Auditor for mixed martial arts legislation and regulation.

Today the Onzuka’s own and operate the O2 Martial Arts Academy in Aiea, Hawaii. The O2 Martial Arts Academy offers Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, kickboxing, and escrima. They are the co-hosts and producers of Fighter’s Club TV, a public access program that focuses on martial arts news and events. Mike Onzuka also serves as analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Kanoa Leahey in the Icon Sport broadcast team. Chris Onzuka has been a judge at almost every Icon Sport event in its twelve-year history.

The Icon Sport Achievement Award is given to pioneers, contributors, and diplomats of mixed martial arts athletics. Haru Shimanishi of Honolulu’s HMC Academy was the first recipient of this award.